Dang, 43rumors.com just got "trusted" rumor that there will be no update for FT flagship DSLR camera until next year. They are concentrating on m43 atm.

plus... the flagship could be a pro mirrorless /m43 camera not an DSLR. That will mark the end of the FT system.

However, you can still use FT lenses with adapter.

Then it is like I said earlier, the E3 is still a fine camera for professional use. Look at the monumental difference between the E1 and the E3. When the industry moves enough, there will be another Ex.

And no, 4/3 is not going anywhere. The restrictions imposed by doing away with the mirror are going to take a while to work around. Contrast based autofocus is improving but is still painfully slow to anyone familiar with the E3's focusing.

I agree that the change now would not be big, but on the other hand, why not make the best they can make now instead of waiting for a big upgrade

Because developing and marketing a new camera when the majority of its target consumer is still satisfied with the older model doesnt make sense. Like I said earlier, the E3 is not exactly a camera for those interested in much of the gimmicky features that would separate the E3 from its successor. As an E3 owner, if the successor were released today, it would not have enough features for me to consider upgrading.

It would be a great camera, and would sell, this is not up for questioning; however, if the marketing and development costs where routed towards an even better camera somewhere further down the line, the profits would be much higher.

Entry level cameras are high volume sellers and for those it makes sense to always facelift and push new models quickly. Professional level cameras are much smaller volume sellers, and pushing a new camera when so few will be upgrading just doesnt make fiscal sense.

The successor of the E-3 should be a m4/3 camera, built like the E-3 with the size of the E-450 and an articulated screen. A Panny G1-like EVF and a pro- and top pro lens line wich has the size of Leica M serie lenses.

The successor of the E-3 should be a m4/3 camera, built like the E-3 with the size of the E-450 and an articulated screen. A Panny G1-like EVF and a pro- and top pro lens line wich has the size of Leica M serie lenses.

If that happens it would mean they will cancel the SLR line and all the investment in the lenses by themselves and by their customers will be lost.

So if they do that, they should introduce a successor for the E3 at the same time or at least announce it to show their customers that they are still serous about slr's.

I agree that the change now would not be big, but on the other hand, why not make the best they can make now instead of waiting for a big upgrade

Because developing and marketing a new camera when the majority of its target consumer is still satisfied with the older model doesnt make sense. Like I said earlier, the E3 is not exactly a camera for those interested in much of the gimmicky features that would separate the E3 from its successor. As an E3 owner, if the successor were released today, it would not have enough features for me to consider upgrading.

It would be a great camera, and would sell, this is not up for questioning; however, if the marketing and development costs where routed towards an even better camera somewhere further down the line, the profits would be much higher.

Entry level cameras are high volume sellers and for those it makes sense to always facelift and push new models quickly. Professional level cameras are much smaller volume sellers, and pushing a new camera when so few will be upgrading just doesnt make fiscal sense.

I understand that for an E3 owner it would not be very attractive to upgrade, but many will do it anyway.
For new customers however, I think the E3 needs to be upgraded as soon as possible to make it up to date with the competition. This should no be a big effort for them. If they combine what they already have you would get a camera with:
- 12 MP
- ISO 6400 (better high iso)
- better contrast based AF
- movie mode (for those who like it)
- hdmi connection
- maybe faster

Probably I forget something, but this is already enough to justify an upgrade.

The big advantage of slr's; a WYSYWIG viewfinder with either wide angle and long lenses.
Disadvantages of slr's; viewfinder isn't always as large and bright as you would wish, especially when your lenses aren't fast. For landscapephotography however you don't need superfast lenses, but a small viewfinder is not very much of a help when composing.
Another disadvantage is the bulk of most slr's and lenses. It can be very intimidating when someone with a (d)slr is machinegunning pictures of you. When you go out for a hike for a week or two, you could also appreciate a lightweight system.

Now the photography world has changed a lot and is still changing. For a small company like Olympus it is essential to be smarter than the rest. Canon and Nikon can affort to concentrate on the next dslr with even more pixels and framerates. A small company like Olympus however has to look behind the horizon in order to survive. 12 years ago i bought my last slr. The choice was either Leica R8 or Olympus OM 4ti. I choosed the Leica, but kept following Olympus in their choices in the digital turn. Smarter choices than Leica i believe. The Olympus dslr's shoudn't be to bulky and they succeeded in this very well. However, a small dslr also means a small pentaprism and i want a large viewfinder! Now m4/3 turned up and it can be, in my opinion, a true Olympus savior.

I don't think Olympus would desinvest on the E-system in the near future. The E-system brought Olympus trough the digital turn. I think the E-system and a (rangefinder - like) m4/3 could live side by side for a limited time. But in the end, the E-system is going to be the system of the past, whether you like it or not. The viewfinder-disadvantages of the dslr can be solved electronically and at the same time the system can be compact, just like Olympus always wanted.

Any system will end one day, but that doesn't mean you can't use it anymore. The camera I use most is a technical field camera with medium format back. Who is saying film days are over? Single lens reflex is just a technical solution, when somebody discovers something better it is time to move on.

The E-3 is a perfect camera, but it is too bulky. The FT system was always meant to be compact, but de E-3 is hardly smaller than de Nikon D300. The E-system has had several new cameras last year. In the meantime Olympus introduced MFT and was almost immediately surprised by the wonderful Panasonic G1. I think it is time for Olympus to put their designers to work at MFT now and not think about an improvement of 12 vs.10 megapixels for an E4 (or E5).

Another thing;
For making a picture it is necessary to set 5 parameters:
Distance, aperture, shutter speed, ISO and colour temp (or white balance). It shouldn't be necessary to have 20 or more buttons on a camera, especially if your cameras are not too big. One thing I would really like on my next camera; Highlight and Shadow spot metering (okay; two more buttons). No scene-modes or art filters for me, I want a camera for photographers and 10 megapixels (with good DR) and 1 fps will do.